Carbon Monoxide Detection

Carbon Monoxide is a silent killer in homes around the world. Providing you follow some simple steps you should never be affected by it.


Detection Equipment:

Carbon monoxide detectors are cheap to buy and can be bought almost anywhere these days, including your local supermarket. Fit them all around the house, on every floor if you want complete protection, especially bedrooms and areas in the vicinity of boilers and flues.
Fit detectors if you have an open flue or solid fuel burning appliance and do not fit a detector straight above or next to boilers, fires or cookers. They can emit enough carbon monoxide to give a false alarm when they start to work.


Fit the detector 150mm down from the ceiling, you can go higher, BUT, NOT lower. Keep them higher than windows or doors that open. They should be between 1.8 metres and 4.5 metres from a potential source like a cooker etc. as they can sometimes give false alarms. Do not fit in any very humid areas like bathrooms due to water/steam damage. A South Bank Plumber knows the danger signs. Clean the detectors using soapy water but not chemical cleaners.


The Boiler Flame:

The flame in your boiler will burn blue with a defined inner and outer core. You should see it through the glass viewing point. If the flame is flickering orange or yellow, then the burn is not correct and there is a problem. South Bank Plumbers are gas safe. Another warning sign is soot released from the boiler.


Symptoms of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning:

The symptoms are easy to spot so if you or anyone else in the home feels or displays any of these symptoms, headaches, tiredness, dizziness and nausea, you need to shut the boiler down and call a gas safe engineer straight away.